Comments on: Our society needs competent leaders desperately

By: Mbuyazi Eric M

Mbuyazi Eric M — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 13:25:38 +0000

We speak of leadership so well these days, it saddens when you experience it in practice, total terror. I find it correct for me to see my leadership as fit and worthy. Nevertheless, there are certain things that get in our way.

Clothing and fewer materials impact your leadership. You cant be sden leading while in torn clothing and dirty clothing, in summary. Cellphones, especially in meetings, put out how and who you are. It’s just as etiquette.

By: Kabelo Sakong

Kabelo Sakong — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 16:06:38 +0000

True, Eric that indelible marks out-live their maker. Tread softly and the wind shall blow away your footprints with the greatest of ease.

In a demorcracratic society every leader is given a definite period to rule/lead. Thus, this symbolises the temporary nature of leadership in the sence of a democratic society. During such a limited period, it is expected that a leader should/must show all that he is capable of doing for the people that he is leading. I believe that the the subject of who has done a better job as compared to whom, arises only after that definite tenure comes to an end.

Further, I also believe that the very temporary character of leadership is what makes great leaders. See Mugabe and his cronies who never reconsiled this truth of the very nature of leadership and their desires. The idea is to come, make a difference/contribute and leave!

By: MBUYAZI ERIC M

MBUYAZI ERIC M — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 13:29:37 +0000

AS WE LOOK AT THE SIGNIFICANMCE AND DEFINITION OF OUR DEBATED QUOTE “LEADERSHIP IS A TEMPORARY EVENT OR COMMODITY…” WE WILL HAVE TO FIRST UNDERSTAND OUR GROUND OF DEBATE.

LEADERSHIP IS ONE OF THE SOCIAL ROLES WHICH ARE USUALLY OCCUPIED BY PEOPLE FROM WITHIN OR OUTSIDE THE COMMUNITY THEY LEAD AND THEIR AIM IS TO LEAD SOCIETIES AND COMMUNITIES TO MUCH GREATER AND GREENER PASTURES. HOWEVER, WE AS MANKIND HAVE ATTRIBUTED LEADERSHIP TO BEING IN A HIGH POSITION.

WITH THAT IN MIND, WE CAN NOW LOOK AT WHERE AND HOW IT COMES TO THE QUOTE ABOVE.

MANKIND IS MORTAL AND WHETHER WE LIKE IT OR NOT, WE DO COME TO AND END,BUT SOMETHING OF OURS ALWAYS REMAINS BEHIND, HOW WE WERE AND STILL ARE PERCEIVED BASED ON OUR DOINGS AND MARKS WE MADE. LOOKING AT BOTH NELSON MANDELA AND F.W. DE KLERK, F.W. DE KLERK TOOK A GREAT AND SUCCESSFUL LEAP OF FAITH AND BROUGHT THE COUNTRY TO A NEW STATE AND BEING. ON THE OTHER HAND, NELSON MAN DELA WAS IMPROSINED FOR 27 YEARS AND HE WAS A FREEDOM FIGHTER, HE DEFIED THE ODDS AND ENDED UP SERVING TIME ON OUR FREEDOMS BEHALF AND OUR BEHALF. MANDELAS DOINGS WERE MORE HEROIC AND SELFLESS AS COMPARED TO THOSE OF F.W. DE KLERK (NO OFFENCE, HARSH REALITY)AND TODAY IF YOU ARE ASKED TO MENTION GREAT LEADERS IN THE WAR AGAINST APARTYHEID, WE SAY WALTER SISULU, STEVE BIKO, ROBERT SOBUKWE, HELEN JOSEPHS AND JOE SLOVO, NEVER WILL YOU HEAR F.W. DE KLERK, WHICH IS FAULTY.

HOWEVER, IT IS MERELY A MATTER OF WHO DID A BETTER JOB THAN WHO AS MENTIONED IN THE ARTICLE BY THE EXECUTIVE MANAGER. AS FOR F.W. DE KLERK, HIS KIND IN RACE AND CONDUCT, THOUGH HE PROVED TO BE DIFFERENT, HAD AN IMPACT ON HOW WE PERCEIVE HIM IN THE MATTER OF DEMOCRACY HEROES.

SECONDLY, AND LASTLY, WE AHVE SO MANY PEOPLE, BOTH COMPETENT AND INCOMPETENT, IN HIGH POSITIONS, WE AS SOCIETY REFER TO THEM AS LEADERS OR OUR LEADERS AS USUALLY STATED. WHEN LOOKING AT PEOPLE LIKE THAT, IT MUST COME TO MIND WE MEAN THEY LEAD IN THE LADDER OF HIERARCHY. THE MINUTE THOSE PEOPLE LEAVE OR EVACUATE THE RANK OR POSITION, WE GIVE LEARSHIP CREDENTIALS TO THOSE REPLACING OR SUCCEEDING THEM. THIS CLEARLY SHOWS HOW SOCIETY TREATS LEADERSHIP AS A TEMPORARY EVENT OR COMMODITY.

AS I CONCLUDE, THE REASON WHY LEADERSHIP IS REGARDED AS A TEMPORARY EVENT OR COMMODITY, IS BECAUSE WHAT IS PERMANENT IS THE MARK THAT YOU MAKE. AT ALL COSTS, INDELIBLE MARKS SHALL ALWAYS REMAIN FOR THEIR IMPRINTS ARE TANGIBLE AND ACCESSIBLE, OVER AND ABOVE ALL, THEY TEND TO DEFINE OUR BEING AND DIRECTION.

By: Tyapile Ntokozo

Tyapile Ntokozo — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 15:26:28 +0000

“Quoting great leaders”
I truly respect and acknowledge the role played by our great leaders in our and the significant change they have installed in our country. Nevertheless it’s high time we stop dwelling in the past but focus on grooming better leaders which by all means will have the same impact that our former leaders had in this country.
Secondly I would like to comment on one of your statements;
“Leadership is a temporary event or commodity and we will always have arguments about who played a more important role than whom”
I believe that leadership it’s not a temporary commodity because they are leaders who are in not leadership anymore but they are still making the impact they possessed while in leadership. Leadership it’s something engraved in us but being a leader it acquires skills to possess your leadership abilities.
I think your quote may be applicable to today leaders especially our political leaders because they are people who are power hungry. In the end of the day we may say leadership it’s a temporary event or commodity because of people who are need training and relevant resources which will make them leaders not power hungry human beings.